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Keep an eye on nitrogen following a warmer, wetter winter

A midwestern agronomist recommends farmers keep an eye on nitrogen levels following warmer and wetter conditions.

Wyffels Hybrids Agronomy Manager Eric Wilson tells Brownfield winter weather has varied across the Corn Belt.

“Some areas up into Minnesota they are talking about possibly the wettest winter on record with below average temperatures. When you get into the more southern areas of Iowa and on into Illinois temperatures have been slightly warmer with some moisture over the winter months.”

He says with more rain in the spring forecast, he is closely watching fields with fall applied nitrogen.

“There is always that potential if we get a warm-up in the spring but it’s not time to plant corn yet, if we get a little extra weather we could get some conversion happening and possibly lose some nitrogen that we put on last fall.”

He says a wet spring could also tighten planting windows, so farmers should be conducting planter maintenance now, so equipment is ready to go once conditions are right.